The general public has become increasingly aware that proper hydration is necessary for maintaining good health. Certain medical authorities have suggested that in order to obtain optimal health it is necessary for the average individual to drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Recreational athletes, such as cyclists, runners, and hikers, have recognized the importance of proper hydration while exercising for some time. Therefore, various styles of unbreakable water bottles have been developed, the most familiar of which is a substantially cylindrical, flexible plastic bottle having a push-pull top. The push-pull top can be actuated by grasping a transverse flange on the top with the user's teeth so as to open the bottle with one hand. The bottle itself is typically manufactured from a flexible material, such as polyethylene, so that the bottle may be squeezed by the user to provide a stream of water, either for drinking or for drenching the user's head or face to avoid overheating.
Bottles of this type have even been adapted for receipt in so-called “cages” on bicycles so that the cyclist may constantly hydrate himself or herself while riding the bicycle and without stopping simply with the use of a single hand.
Unfortunately, non-athletes and athletes not then engaged in athletic activities find such sports bottles to be limited in their effectiveness for use during routine daily tasks, such as being at the office. Specifically, the bottles are aesthetically unappealing for use in a business environment in that they cannot be sipped from in a manner similar to a coffee cup. In addition, the aforementioned sports bottles are typically cylindrical in configuration, having a diameter of approximately four inches. The typical thickness of a commuting briefcase may only be on the order of three inches, thus rendering transportation of the water bottle on a daily basis for the office environment difficult.
Thus, a need exists for a hydration flask or bottle optimized for daily use, including the ability to fit into a standard briefcase and the ability to drink from such a bottle in an appropriate manner, such as in sipping a beverage from a coffee cup or the like.